American Safari Cruises announced Tuesday that an agreement has been reached between the company, state and federal authorities and local groups so that the Safari Explorer will return to Molokai in January 2012.

Protesters were so angry that they hadn't been consulted, so they hopped into the water and blocked the ship!

Tensions continued to run high in January 2012 as the Explorer pulled into port. There were Coast Guard and state law enforcement officers on the water and county police and state sheriffs on shore.

It was a far different sight on Wednesday as representatives from the state, American Safari Cruises and the Molokai community signed an historic "Molokai Community Agreement" outlining visits to Molokai.

"It is an outcome of community sitting down with business talking openly and honestly about each other's needs," said William Aila, Department of Land and Natural Resources chairman.

"Now this agreement is for Molokai only. As you know Molokai is a very special community and we hope is the building block for what we hope is best management practicies for tourism on Molokai," said Dan Blanchard, owner of American Safari Cruises.

Under the agreement, American Safari Cruises agrees to make only one visit per week with a maximum of 36 passengers on any trip.

The company will help to create an orientation video on Molokai that the passengers will view before arrival.

The tours will not visit the wahipana, or sacred places, on the island.

And the passengers will only utilize tours and activities run by business owned by Molokai residents.

"This is a precedent-setting thing," said Molokai activist Walter Ritte. "So, we're hoping that Molokai uses this. We put this in our community plan so that anybody else coming as tourists or tourist industry to this island knows there are steps they need to take. They just can't come here and do whatever they want."

Ritte says they hope to set a precedent for the rest of the islands so that each community can have a say about how tourism is implemented on their island.

As for American Safari Cruises, the company says communication is good. Later this year, the company plans to base a boat out of the island bringing more revenue to the Molokai community, all with the community's blessings.